Gaston de Gerlache de Gomery

Biography

Thus on August 16th, 1897, leaving Antwerp, the three-masted ship Belgica from went away to discovered from new grounds in the still unexplored Antarctic, under the direction of the commander Adrien de Gerlache de Gomery. Forwarding brought back remarkable scientific information after having enriched by the Belgian names to the polar geography.

Sixty years after, ordering it Gaston de Gerlache de Gomery and his ten seven companions made float again the Belgian flag on the Antarctic continent. It left Antwerp on November 12th, 1957 on board Polarhav, hunter of Norwegian seal, measuring 650 tons, and of Polarsirkel charged with material, in order to establish a base of scientific observation at the time of the year of the international geophysical year. This one was setting-up by the International counsel of the scientific Unions. A vast program of geophysical observation simultaneous was undertaken.

During his life, Gaston de Gerlache was inter alia Lieutenant-colonel aviator, pilot of the Royal Air Force during the Second world war, burgomaster of the commune of Mullem (Belgium), doctor in right, president of the Belgian National committee for research the Antarctic, honorary president of the association of the reserve officers of the Belgian Air force, chair textile group Alsberge and van Oost, president of the Assubel group, president of the commission of opinion on the concessions of favors peerage-books, large officer about the Crown, large officer about Léopold II, commander about Léopold, commander about Orange-Nassau, knight about The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Its funeral took place in the small village of Huise (the Flemish Ardennes) where the baron Gaston de Gerlache lived with his wife. It rests in the family vault with Gomery (close to Virton) where it also had a castle.

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